London shootings – media blamed

Always ready to exploit real-life human tragedy in order to promote his calls to censor fiction, John Beyer of Mediawatch-UK has issued a press release about the recent spate of shootings in South London. The culprits, as ever, are the “broadcasters and film makers” who insist on portraying the use of firearms in their “productions”.

Research carried out over many years by mediawatch-uk shows that the depiction of firearms being used in criminal ways is by far the most commonly portrayed violence on TV.

Somebody please tell Mr Beyer that sitting in front of a TV with a pen and noting down every incidence of swearing and violence as it occurs does not constitute “research” in any meaningful sense of the word.

We believe that this level of fictional violence shown on television, which is consistent with our findings for the last 12 years, is unacceptable and irresponsible.

There lies the crux of his argument: “we believe”. In the absence of any conclusive research linking fictional violence with real-life violence, Beyer and his mediawatch-UK cronies have nothing but their “belief” to go on. Is that an acceptable or responsible hook upon which to hang your life’s work? Wouldn’t it be more responsible to try to find out the answers to the relevant questions before campaigning as if you already know them?

We wonder if, like Mary Whitehouse before him, Beyer’s misapprehension that he knows what he’s doing stems from an imagined communication with “God” at some point in the past? Wouldn’t be surprised.

(Thanks to Dan Factor)


7 Responses to “London shootings – media blamed”

  1. Andy Gilmour says:

    Ah, c’mon – surely the rot set in with all those naughty cowboys riding around winning the west with their six-shooters, leather, and laconic drawling…?

    Or maybe it was all the heroic war films made in/after WWII??

    Funny, I don’t recall a vast increase in gun crime being blamed on those two sources by Mr. Beyer…?

    Ho hum.

  2. Chris says:

    If MediaWatch have been doing all this research over the years, and I agree with you about the quality of this research, then surely JB is going to have exposed himself to huge amounts of violent television – so why’s he not affected by it like those he is trying to protect?

    Maybe he desensitised himself by reading all the violent atrocities, incest and rape in “the good book”.

  3. bearflea says:

    Well, he seems to have based most of his moral framework on a dodgy ‘belief’ system. You can’t prod him for spouting utter tripe based on ‘belief’, at least he is consistent.
    Nah, I joke… mock away!

  4. Joe says:

    Hang on maybe he has something. Depictions of violence maybe should be banned. Lets start with one of the most popular books in the world. Surely sections like :
    If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh.–Dueteronomy 32:41-42
    Or
    Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be …. She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.– Judges 5:24-26
    and even:
    David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron.- Samuel -4:12

    must be encouraging young people to comit violent acts.
    BAN THE BIBLE! You know it makes sense!

  5. Andy A says:

    There’s a bit of a body count, as I remember, at the end of Hamlet, too. I’ve never heard Beyer bay for extremely Bowdlerised, sword-fight-free versions to be read in schools.

  6. Tiger Dunc says:

    Andy A – Don’t start giving him ideas. You know this homophobic simple minded old bigot doesn’t take much prodding. You can just see him now can’t you. Boycotting the BBC and calling for Hamlet to live happily ever after, Lear to be given his kingdom back, MacBeth to spurn the witches and return to the church and Shylock….well, he’s not a Chrsitian is he?

  7. And that’s before you get on to Titus Andronicus!

    Even by Beyer’s standards, this is absolutely revolting behaviour. Every other commentator is trying to get to the bottom of the issue of inner-city gun crime, poverty and gangland activity, but leave it to Beyer to use childrens’ coffins as a step-up to his usual hobby horse.